Symposium
Interventions and Care Delivery Models in the Context of Resource Limitations
Amina Chekkal, M.D. (she/her/hers)
resident in psychiatry
Université de Montréal
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DBT targets emotional dysregulation in BPD, PTSD, SUD, eating disorders, and beyond, yet full programs face barriers: scarce providers, high costs ($200-500/hour), rural gaps, and long waitlists. Self-help (apps, manuals, websites) and minimally guided (e.g., emails) formats offer scalable equity. While Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is well established for emotional dysregulation, the evidence base for self-guided and minimally guided DBT—including digital, printed, and blended formats—remains diffuse. This scoping review protocol outlines methods to systematically map empirical research on DBT self-help interventions.
Methods: The review follows the Arksey and O’Malley (2005) framework, refined by Levac et al. (2010) and guided by PRISMA-ScR standards. Comprehensive searches will be conducted across PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest using terms such as “DBT self-help,” “internet DBT,” “DBT app,” “DBT workbook,” “DBT book,” and “minimally guided DBT.” Eligible studies include empirical evaluations (RCTs, pilot, or naturalistic) of primarily self- or minimally guided DBT programs delivered via web platforms, mobile apps, printed self-help books/workbooks, manuals, or messaging, reporting pre–post quantitative outcomes on emotion dysregulation–related problems (e.g., suicidality, binge eating, substance use disorders, distress). Studies of full or adjunctive DBT, qualitative-only designs, and non-English publications will be excluded.
Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts, and full texts (anticipated κ = 0.85–0.92). Data extraction will capture population characteristics, intervention features (format, guidance level, dosage), outcomes, and limitations. A narrative synthesis will organize evidence by clinical domain, with effect sizes reported where available.
Significance: This review, currently in progress (extraction pending), will comprehensively map DBT self-help evidence across delivery formats, identifying gaps to guide scalable emotion regulation interventions.